Equus
The Equus, or horse, were large quadruped mammals with solid-hoofs, a flowing tail and mane. Commonly domesticated, in some parts of the galaxy they were used as draft animals, beasts of burden or for riding. While "horse" was the vernacular name for the species used in Galactic Basic Standard, the technical term used by scientists was equus. Biology Horses, also known as "pulga" in Ewokese, were non-sentient, quadrupedal mammals that inhabited many planets of the galaxy, including Dathomir and Endor. They had long, flexible legs ending in hooves that allowed them to achieve fast running speeds. Their bodies were covered in short, smooth hair, and a mane of even longer, thicker hair grew about their necks and heads. A horse's head featured a long muzzle consisting of the lips and nose. The eye of a horse was set to the side of its skull, and its ears protruded from the top of the head. Horses came in two sexes, with the males being called "stallions” and the females known as “mares”. Smaller breeds of horses were called "ponies," also known as "gaupas" in the forests of Endor. Many other species that resembled horses were often referred to as "equine," whether related to actual horses or not. Behavior and Intelligence Horses could be domesticated so that individuals could ride them, or to carry and pull loads. Often, a equus/horse, was able to be trained to follow and respond to simple verbal or somatic commands. While deemed non-sentient, horses often displayed some intelligence and a bonded loyalty to a specific owner/master. History When Cindel Towani was befriended by Wicket after her family crashed on Endor, he showed her an Ewok-made pulga statue, which she identified as a horse, as he misunderstood her request for a star cruiser for a pulga due to sharing the same word. Apparently, at least one world visited by the Towani family in the Galactic Empire had horses. The Ewoks mainly used small gaupas to ride, but also used large pulgas for heavier loads. In the quest to rescue the Towani parents, most of the Ewoks involved rode gaupas, while Cindel and Wicket traveled in a children-carrying basket aboard a full-sized pulga. The Force-sensitive witches of Dathomir possessed beautiful black horses, which they sometimes rode instead of Dathomiri rancors. Some of the witches, notably Charal, possessed rings of mysterious origin with strange Force "magic" properties that allowed the witches to change the physical shapes of both themselves and their steeds. Charal apparently brought her Dathomiri steed with her to the forest moon. To lure Cindel into a trap, she changed her own shape into a beautiful lady, and her horse into a white steed. Apparently, white horses were considered symbolic of purity and nobility in the Galactic Empire. The Sanyassan Marauders under King Terak also used large horses as mounts. It is possible they brought these steeds with them to the forest moon, as Charal brought her own horse. The Marauders crashed on Endor almost 100 years before the Battle of Yavin, and the horses and ponies used by the Ewoks may well have been descended from Marauder-introduced stock. RPG D6 Stats Type: Domesticated Mammal Planet of Origin: Varies DEXTERITY 3D Running 5D PERCEPTION 2D STRENGTH 4D Jumping 5D, stamina 5D Special Abilities: Bite: Does STR+2 damage. Hooves: Do STR+1D damage. Trample: Does STR+2D damage. Move: 24 Size: 1.6 meters tall at the shoulder Orneriness: 1D Behind the Scenes George Lucas' Ewok movies featured numerous real, Earth animals, although it should be noted that so did The Phantom Menace, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Many animals in the Star Wars galaxy resemble horses, but are not. These include four-eared equinoids from Cleroff's World, and numerous species of Naboo: gualaars, guarlaras, and gualamas. Many fans have incorrectly confused Endorian ponies with bordoks. Category:Creatures